Solar Panels for my cameras

[cghersi]

I have a couple of Arlo Pro 2 cameras that I want to connect with Solar Panels.

I have seen that there are several types of Panels, some compatible others not. 

1) Is the compatibility related just to the cable that runs from the Panel to the Camera or are there other electric parameters involved?

2) Can I connect an existing Solar Panel (not branded Arlo) to my camera, if I have the right USB connector?

Thanks!

Cristiano

[StephenB]

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@cghersi wrote:

1) Is the compatibility related just to the cable that runs from the Panel to the Camera or are there other electric parameters involved?

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There are other parameters.

The VMA4600 (the panel for your Pro 2 cameras) uses the same cabling as the VMA3600 (the panel for Essentials).  But the VMA4600 is not compatible with the Essentials).

Arlo hasn't said exactly why.

One aspect is that the cameras operate somewhat differently on solar than they do with an AC powered charger.  Arlo hasn't said exactly how they detect the panel.

Another is that the batteries inside the camera are different, and perhaps need somewhat different charging voltages/power.

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@cghersi wrote:

2) Can I connect an existing Solar Panel (not branded Arlo) to my camera, if I have the right USB connector?

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No idea if that will work, and Arlo certainly won't recommend using a generic USB solar panel. Note if the camera thinks it is connected to an AC charger it will actually drain the battery faster than just running on battery.  And of course if the camera doesn't detect the panel at all, then it won't charge the battery.

There are some third-panel panels that claim compatibility with the Pro 2.  While Arlo still recommends that you only use Arlo accessories, there are some folks here who have used third party panels (that explicitly claim compatibility) successfully.